Vehicle-lifting means



A. n. LIGHTNER AND E. HOLMES.

VEHICLE LIFTING MEANS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY13,19I8.

1,427,214 Patented Aug. 29, 1922.

w w were f st l 35ml l itirel fll ARTHUR D. LIGHTNER AND EDWARDHOLE/LES, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THE WILIYS-OVERLAND COMPANY, OFTOLEDG, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

VEHICLE-LIFTING IMEANS.

Application filed May 13, 1918.

To all M71077), it may concern:

Be it known that we, ARTHUR D. LrerrrNnR and EDWARD TTOLMES, citizens ofthe United tdtates, residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and Stateof Ohio, have invented certain new and useful improvements inVehicle-Lifting Means, of which we declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in vehicle lifting means and hasfor its primary object to provide improved devices adapted to beattached to the front of an automobile or other vehicle whereby thefront of the vehicle can be lifted.

Further objects, and objects relating to economies of manufacture anddetails of construction, will definitely appear from the detaileddescription to follow:

The objects of the invention are accomplished by the devices and meansdescribed in the following specifications. The invention is thoroughlydefined and pointed out in the appended claims.

A structure constituting a preferred embodiment of the invention isillustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of thisspecification, in which:

Fig. I is a front elevation of an automobile and shows the inventionwhen applied.

Fig. 11 is a plan view showing the front portion of the chassis and thefront axle and wheels with. the invention applied.

Fig. IHis a vertical, cross-sectional view taken substantially on theline llllll of Fig. II.

Fig. IV is a perspective view of one of the improved lifting hooks.

Before proceeding with a detailed description of the invention, it iswell. to state that the hooks are particularly adapted for use indecking automobiles when it is desired to suspend one automobile overanother, as for shipment in railroad cars. However, it is to beunderstood that the invention is not to be limited to this particularuse.

The automobile illustrated in the accompanying drawing is of theordinary type, having the aXle 10 which carries the steering spindles onwhich the wheels 11 are mounted. Springs 12 are of the semielliptic typeand are secured to the axle 10 and the chassis side members 18 in theusual manner, (Fig. H). An apron is in- Specification of Letters Patent.Patentjqed Aug. 29, 1922,

Serial No. 234,197.

dicated at 14 and above the apron is indicated a radiator 15. Headlightsare indicated at 16 and mud guards at 17, (Fig. I)

The lifting device comprises two members 20 so formed that they aredetachably secured to the front of the vehicle, as best shown in Figs.III and IV. Each of the securing members 20 is formed from a bar havingits upper end, as shown in Fig. TV, slightly tapered, its lower end ofsubstantially uniform diameter and the central portion intermediate itsends flattened as at 22. The bar is curved intermediate its ends and thetop of the lower flat portion of the bar is substantially horizontalwhen the member is secured to the vehicle, as clearly shown in Fig. III.The lower end of the securing member, which has a substantially uniformdiameter, is bent to form a laterally-extending hook which projects toone side of the member, the hook having a vertical portion 23, ahorizontal portion 2% and a short, depending portion 2st. The hook ofone of the members extends toward the right and the hook of the othermember is similarly formed but extends toward the left. The taperedupper end of the securing member 20 is bent to form a hook 21 which isopen to permit the insertion of a ring 25.

When it is desired to lift the front end of the vehicle, the lower hookof each member is hooked over a spring 12 on the left or right hand sideof the vehicle, depending upon whether the hook extends from the rightor the left, and the forward upper ends of the hooks are then raised sothat the horizontal portion of the member immediately in front of thehook engages the lower edge of the axle 10. In this position of thesecuring members 20, their upper tapered ends converge and their hooks21 are in contact. The ring 25 is then slipped into the hooks 21. Bymeans of a cable 526 secured to the ring 25 the front of the automobilecan be raised by a tackle or other suitable means. Of course, it isunderstood that suitable means are connected to the rear of theautomobile for raisingthe same. The automobile can then be raised to anydesired height.

It is evident that the invention provides a very simple and stronglifting means and any possibility of the same disengaging while theautomobile is suspended is entirely eliminated, and the hooks on thelower end of each member, which hook over the springs of the automobile,have a rounded edge to engage the springs, and so will not mar the painton the springs to an ap preciable extent. The lifting members act aslevers with the axle serving as a fulcrum. By constructing the membersas above described, they may be easily and quickly attached and detachedwithout the use of tools.

We are aware that our invention is susceptible of considerable variationwithout departing from the spirit thereof, and, therefore, we desire toclaim the invention broadly, as well as specifically, as indicated bythe appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A device for lifting automobiles, comprising two members convergingat one end to a point and the other end of each member extending underthe front axle and engaging the lower edge thereof; hooks on the lastmentioned ends of said members adapted for hooking over the springs ofsaid antomobile; and detachable means for connecting the converging endstogether.

2. A device for lifting automobiles, comprising two members convergingat one end to a point and the other end of each member extending underthe front axle and engaging the lower edge thereof; hooks on the lastmentioned ends of said members adapted for hooking over the springs ofsaid automobile; hooks formed on the upper ends of said members adaptedfor detachably receiving a ring, and means secured to said ring forlifting the said automobile.

3. A lifting device for an automobile, comprising a member having a lefthand. hook on one end and a member having a right hand hook on thecorresponding end,

the other ends converging toward the center of the automobile, the hooksbeing adapted to hook over the springs at one end of said automobile; aflattened portion on each member intermediate said ends, adapted toengage the under side of the axle of the au tomobile; and detachablemeans for connecting the converging ends together.

4'. A'lifting device having two angularly disposed portions adapted toengage the top and bottom sides of two angularly disposed members insuch a manner as to be clamped upon one of said members by fulcrumingupon the other.

5. A lifting device having two angularly disposed. portions lying inplanes substantially at right angles to each other, one of said portionscomprising a hook and the other a fulcrum, said hook and fulcrumportions being adapted to engage the top and bottom sides of twomembers, one of which extends transversely of the other.

6. A lifting device comprising a body portion having an upstanding hookthereon, said body portion extending obliquely to the hook, said hookportion being adapted to extend over the top side of a member extendingtransversely of the axle of an automobile and said body portion beingadapted to extend under the axle and to fulcrumthereon, whereby the hookis clamped upon said transversely extending member.

7. A lifting device comprising a'lnember having portions at one endextending in transversely disposed planes, said portions being adaptedto engage the top and bottom sides of two transversely arranged membersto lift the same when force is applied in an upward direction upon thefree end of said member. a p

8. A lifting device comprising two divergently arranged connectedmembers each having on its outer end angularly disposed portions, one ofwhich is adapted to engage the top and. the other the bottom side of twoload carrying members disposed in planes substantially at right anglesto each other. 9. A lifting device comprising two divergently arrangedconnected members, the outer end of each of which is constructed tofulcrum upon the under side of a beam and to extend over another memberdisposed transversely of the beam.

10. A. lifting lever comprising an arm having at one end a fulcrumportion and an angularly disposed portion, said fulcrum and angularlydisposed portions being adapted to engage the bottom and top sidesrespectively, of two transversely extending members to support the samein suspended position.

11. A lifting lever comprising an arm having at one end two portionsangularly disposed with respect to each other, both of which areangularly disposed with respect to the arm, and adapted to co-operatetherewith to engage members ext-ending transversely of each other tosupport the same in suspended position.

12. A lifting lever comprising an arm having at one end three portions,each of which is angularly disposed with respect to one other of. saidportions and all of which are angularly disposed with respect to thearm, said portions forming a hook adapted to cooperate with the arm toengage a plurality of members extending transversely of each other tosupport the same in suspended position. I

In testimony whereof, they afiix their signatures.

ARTI-IUR D. LIGHTNER. EDWARD HOLMES.

